Blue-mantled Thornbill vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Chalcostigma stanleyi compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blue-mantled Thornbill | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chalcostigma stanleyi | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 13.2 cm (5.2 in) | — |
| Weight | 5.2749999999999995 g (0.19 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Andean treeline scrub; visits Ericaceae and Brachyotum blooms. Supplements with small arthropods. | Nectarivore of Bolivian and Peruvian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Blue-mantled Thornbill only
Rufous-booted Racket-tail only
Song & Call Comparison
Blue-mantled Thornbill
Crisp, whistled notes in ascending sequence; clean bright tones stepping up smoothly in cheerful morning delivery.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Blue-mantled Thornbill
Found in high Andean páramo from Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 3,000–4,500 m elevation.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Found in cloud forests of northern Bolivia and adjacent Peru and Brazil at 400–1,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Blue-mantled Thornbill
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue-mantled Thornbill
Long-billed Starthroat: males glittering blue-green gorget; metallic green above; long bill; white pectoral tufts; females green with spots
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet: tiny; males with brilliant orange-gold belly; violet gorget; females green above; spotted buff below
About These Birds
Blue-mantled Thornbill
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) found in Andean páramo from Colombia to Bolivia at 3,500-4,800 m. Males have a blue-violet mantle and short bill. Nectarivore of high-altitude Chuquiraga and Puya flowers. Enters torpor nightly. One of the highest-living hummingbirds.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
A small hummingbird (8-10 cm plus tail rackets) found in Andean cloud forests of southeastern Peru and Bolivia at 1,200-2,200 m. Males have rufous leg puffs instead of white. Recently split from Booted Racket-tail. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth.